One of the projects organized by the pastors at Glide was an effort to track the drug problem in the Tenderloin, by employing drug dealers to survey their users. After the project, Glide continued to support the young adults as a youth group of the congregation. These young adults were primarily homeless queer youth, many of whom identified as hair fairies. In addition to providing them with a room to meet in, Glide provided the group with financial, pastoral and educational support. Historians believe these Vanguard youth formed the first Gay Liberation organization in the United States. Susan Stryker, in her documentary Screaming Queens linked this group to one of the nations first LGBTQ uprisings, at Compton Cafeteria.
The photos below, are from their first event, a street sweep. The city was allowing trash to build up in the Tenderloin in hopes that the area would get redeveloped and gentrified. There were also police sweeps that cleared LGBTQIA+ individuals off the streets. The homeless youth had no where else to go, so they protested by sweeping the streets. This act both helped to clean up and brought important attention to the needs of queer homeless youth.
Courtesy of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Historical Society, Vanguard 1966 Street Sweep photographs.
Courtesy of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Historical Society, Vanguard 1966 Street Sweep photographs.
Courtesy of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Historical Society, Vanguard 1966 Street Sweep photographs.
Courtesy of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Historical Society, Vanguard 1966 Street Sweep photographs.
Below are photos, articles and oral histories from pastors who helped them organize and some of the Vanguard youth. One of the main reasons stories about the Vanguard youth survived, is because Glide provided the youth with the extra paper from their bulletins and let them use their equipment to create hand printed magazines. The art from these magazines was often created at a community center for youth that provided free art supplies and training. This program was called The Hospitality House.
Oral histories from the Pacifica Radio Archives, Susan Stryker, Paul Gabriel and Megan Rohrer. Photos courtesy of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Historical Society.
Article courtesy of the Vanguard Revisited Project by Joey Plaster and Megan Rohrer. Papers for this project can be found in the Papers of Megan Rohrer at the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Historical Society.
The pastors at Glide Memorial Church allowed the Vanguard youth to use space in the church, provided them with a budget of $30 a month as Glide’s youth group and taught them the organizing principles of Saul Alinsky.
Vanguard Magazine Courtesy of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Historical Society
Courtesy of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Historical Society, Don Lucas Papers, 11/17 Homophile Organizations, Vanguard 1966-1967
Oral histories by Joseph Plaster and Megan Rohrer. Photos courtesy of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Historical Society
Courtesy of the Lyon and Martin Papers at the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Historical Society. This news article was republished and included in Glide’s 1963-1967 Foundation Report.
Excerpt from Vanguard Volume 1, Issue 7 Courtesy of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Historical Society
The group held “happenings” at Glide where there would be a room full of typewriters. Poems might be started by one person and finished by others. Vanguard published some of these poems in their handmade zine that was made using leftover paper from the Glide bulletins.
Vanguard Volume 1, Issue 10, Courtesy of Megan Rohrer
If this exhibit has inspired you to learn more about Glide Pride, you can connect here.